The Keepers of Wisdom
by Queen Noobs
Summary: Once, there were six Keepers of Wisdom, but now there are three. The fate of the youngest Keeper is unknown, but when the One Ring returns and everyone that the youngest Keeper held dear is in peril, her fate is revealed. (Follows the storyline of the film but may contain elements from the book. May become Frodo/OC)
1. Chapter One - Stranger

**AN:** I've had this idea and OC for LOTR for a while and I've decided to make it into an actual thing. This may be a long story and it's my first Lord of the Rings fanfic so constructive criticism is welcome :)

The first few chapters are set 10 years before the Fellowship of the Ring and Bilbo's 111th birthday. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter One: Stranger**

The Hobbits of the Shire were wary of people from abroad. They felt that they disturbed the peace, like when Gandalf appeared and he and Bilbo went on an adventure which changed Mr Baggins forever. Outsiders where usually not welcome.

And Gandalf had bought a hobbit-hole, and many of the hobbits found this very strange. When they asked him why he had bought it he simply said that it was for a friend of his and that his friend would be living there for a while.

Now, the Hobbits had already branded Gandalf as a 'disturber of the peace' and any friend of Gandalf's would definitely be branded that too. The Hobbits were both curious and frightened and it had been some time since Gandalf had bought the small hobbit-hole and everything inside it was quiet, until a week ago. Some of the Hobbits had seen movement inside the little burrow...

Someone new had moved into Hobbiton, and it looked like they weren't planning on leaving any time soon to the annoyance of those who feared that the person would likely cause trouble. The Hobbits had not even seen the new resident since they moved into Hobbiton which worried them further and some began to create stories about how the new person looked.

"I heard he only comes out in the dead of night! That's why we haven't seen him." said one.

"Oh yes, I've seen it. It's got glowing orange eyes, I saw from the window while I was walking past its house. Nothing good can come from this thing, I'm telling you." said another.

What didn't help the Hobbits is that they were so shy, none of them wanted to knock on the stranger's door and welcome them to the Shire and they lived in fear of what lived inside that small hobbit-hole, and the rumours became even more ridiculous. The younger hobbits joked about there being a dragon living inside it.

The Hobbits began to avoid the area where the new resident lived, out of fear that someone unsavoury did live there but they did wonder when the person would leave their home. And life carried on as usual in Hobbiton but there was a sense of uneasiness at the back of everyone's mind.

* * *

 **~~~ The Week Before ~~~**

It was midnight and it was cold and a stranger clad in a cloak with a large hood covering their face, entered Hobbiton unnoticed.

The stranger was tired and every step they took felt like one hundred steps but the stranger had felt like this before and it wasn't long before they reached their new home.

' _Just a little further...'_

Now the rain started the pour and the stranger walked faster, looking frantically for a yellow door among the small hills of Hobbiton. The village at night and in this weather didn't look as charming as Gandalf had explained to the stranger when they asked about it. There were now puddles everywhere and the stranger could feel their shoes become soggy and muddy and now not only was the stranger weary, they were also uncomfortable and irritated. But then if the stranger had arrived in Hobbiton during the daytime, the hobbits would have stared and asked questions, and that was the last thing the stranger wanted.

After a while the stranger found the place they were looking for. There was a little hill just bordering Hobbiton and on top of the hill was another smaller one with a yellow door with two tiny windows either side. Immediately, when the stranger got to the yellow door, they took a key from their pocket and opened the door, quickly stepped inside and shut the door and locked it again.

The stranger then sighed and leaned against the door and closed their eyes. Their legs ached and felt like they would drop off any moment and if they wanted to; they could have just fallen asleep by the door. They could hear the rain now falling harder and the sound of thunder echoed through the Shire.

The stranger sighed again and stood up straight, and then undid the tie that kept on their soggy cloak and it fell to the ground with a soft thud. Underneath the cloak was not some unpleasant wanderer, but a young woman. She was about the same height as a hobbit, but when you looked at her feet you would see that they were not big and hairy like a hobbits', she wore boots and her feet were quite small. She looked almost like a hobbit-sized version of an elf. The woman had pointed ears and a heart shaped face with prominent cheekbones and her eyes were a shade of olive green but because she had been walking for so long and she was exhausted, where was darkness around the bottom of her eyes and the woman was quite pale.

Her hair was a wet and matted mess. It was a light brown colour and half of it was scraped back into a small bun but little strands of hair hung by her ears and the rest of her long hair hung loose and it was very wavy, but tangled.

The woman, after taking a few moments to recover slightly from her long journey, began to look around her new home. She was standing in the entrance hall which was quite empty apart from a coat stand near the door. The woman picked up her damp cloak and hung it on the coat stand and she knew it would probably leak and make a mess, but she was too tired to care.

On her left was the living room. There was a window in this room and the woman shut the curtains to prevent prying eyes. The other window she assumed was in the kitchen, which was on the right of the entrance hall. She was thankful that there were only two windows since it meant that there was less of a chance of the hobbits spying on her.

The woman was then in complete darkness once she had shut the curtains, but luckily she had brought a tinderbox with her on her journey and proceeded to light a few candles that were in the room. There was a table with two chairs by the window and on the table was a chamberstick, so to not waste candles she placed one of the candles into it to take with her around the house.

Aside from the table there was a fire place with two single sofas in front of it. There weren't any paintings or decorations in the living room so it did look a slightly dull but the woman didn't mind. This was her new safe haven and it didn't need to look pretty.

She then walked to the kitchen and like the living room it was quite bare. Just a table with four chairs, a stove, a few cupboards and a little door leading to the pantry. Remembering that there was a window in this room, she shut the curtains. The woman then looked at the pantry door.

' _Why would there be anything in there...'_ She thought. This house was new; it would be stupid for there to be food in the pantry. ' _... let's look anyway...'_

But when the woman opened the door to the pantry, there wasn't a lot but there was enough food to keep her going for a week or two. There was a small amount of cheese, onions, mushrooms, salted beacon, bread, eggs and jam.

Then she remembered Gandalf. Of course he would leave something for her, but she did feel bad that he gone out of his way to do this much and she told herself that she would replay him somehow. She could have easily bought or grown food herself but then she remembered that it was very late in the night, and the drained feeling in her legs reminded her of the exhaustion from her journey.

Perhaps he knew.

Holding the candle, the woman wandered out of the kitchen and into the room to the north of the entrance hall, and this seemed to be the rotunda. To the right was the bathroom and it was quite small, and again it wasn't greatly decorated and as she looked in she noticed a hand pump which was there to draw water for the bath and wash basin. The basin was chiselled out of stone and the bath was scooped out of the ground and lined with stone tiles, but what was interesting is that it had a plug and she assumed it had a natural outflow.

She was extremely lucky. Most of the poorer hobbit-holes had bathrooms outside and having the bathroom inside was defiantly a perk since there would be less of a chance of the Hobbits observing her.

Then she walked into the bedroom and there was obviously a bed in here and she had never been so happy to see a bed in her life, however the woman gave a frustrated huff. There was apparently a third window. But it was no issue because the curtains were quite thick and the woman walked over to the curtains and shut them and she set the chamberstick down on the bedside table.

The woman then threw herself onto the bed and she kicked off her boots and snuggled up to the pillows and she was well aware that her clothes were soaked from the rain but again, she was far too tired to care. Being an elf she couldn't understand why she was so tired... But then she did have tiny legs... which possibly weren't good for walking major distances...

And then the woman realised how gloriously comfy the bed was, and sure enough the woman soon fell fast asleep, defeated by exhaustion. She didn't dream of anything and not even the thunderous rain outside woke her from her slumber.

In this little house, in Hobbiton, in the Shire, the woman was safe for now. No evil could enter here. But the shadow in the East was growing, and peace was ending. The Dark Lord was regaining his strength and his minions would soon arise. But at this moment, the young woman could rest.

But who was this young stranger who had entered the Shire unnoticed?

Well, her name was Arian.

* * *

 **AU:** I think future chapters will definitely be longer so think of this as a kind of prologue. I just wanted to introduce Arian and her appearance. Some of you are probably wondering "but if she's an elf why is she tiny", and don't worry, I will go over that but it may be a lot LOT later when I reveal what Arian is.


	2. Chapter Two - Elderbell

**AN:** Thank you all for the faves and follows of this story! It means a lot! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Elderbell**

Arian fell into a deep slumber and stayed in that state for a day. Her journey had taken quite a toll on her and it was her own fault since she walked without stopping through wind and rain, day and night and ate very little food because she could not afford to stop. She needed to get to Hobbiton as fast as she possibly could out of fear that she was being tracked. But Arian was small and swift, so it would have been difficult for anyone to follow her.

Since Arian had awoken from her slumber, she stayed in her home for the next week since she still felt very tired but she didn't just stay in her bed, she pottered around the burrow and familiarised herself with her new home. The wardrobe had a small selection of clothing similar to the clothing of the Hobbits and Arian assumed this was Gandalf's doing again. He had been far too kind to her. Today she wore a light beige coloured blouse with long sleeves but she rolled them up, a brown underbust bodice, a salmon coloured skirt which ended just above her calves and brown flat pumps. She rather liked this clothing, it was simple and comfy and this almost resembled the Hobbits way of life.

She patted her skirt down and she smiled but then she remembered that she had a problem. There was very little food left in the pantry... which meant she had to go and get more... and that meant going outside. Back where Arian lived before she didn't have to worry about these problems.

She groaned and grabbed her old leather bag; made sure she had money with her and trudged over to the front door. It was midmorning and it was obvious that there would be hobbits around and Arian was anxious. She worried about if they asked her questions about whom she was and why she was living in Hobbiton because she would have no idea how to answer them. If they asked where she came from however, that was easy, she would say Rivendell. But if they asked that question, 'why was she was living in Hobbiton'...

' _Maybe I should have thought of an answer for that before I left..."_ Arian thought and now found herself already outside of the door to her burrow.

She shut and locked the door and wandered down the path into Hobbiton. It was very warm and sunny today but it wasn't an uncomfortable warmness and now Hobbiton was starting to look as charming as Gandalf had explained to her. There were continuous rolling, green hills and some she could tell were hobbit-holes by the tiny doors. Arian could already see some hobbits working in the nearby fields and most didn't pay much attention to her but there was now this slight feeling of tension in the atmosphere. Arian tried to think nothing of it.

She continued to walk down the road and then the peace returned and in the distance she heard some hobbit children playing. Arian smiled. The Hobbits clearly knew nothing of the danger and darkness that existed outside of the Shire and life here was easy and beautiful. In truth, Arian was very sceptical about coming here as she already knew of the easy life of the Hobbits and felt like she wouldn't fit in. She thought that life here would be too easy, and it would be the same old thing every day, but these first few moments outside of her burrow started to slowly change her opinion on this place. Apart from the few Hobbits in the fields, nobody seemed to be paying much attention to her, and they just carried on doing whatever it was they were doing. This was a relief, so far.

Arian felt at ease for the first time in a while. Before she came here Arian's life was not dangerous, it was just difficult. Every day was fraught with problems, and her sister-...

No. She was fine. Arian was safe in the Shire and her sister was definitely safe in Rivendell. Nothing could hurt them. Arian didn't need to think about anything now.

Then she was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by some distressed and raised voiced in the distance. Arian's curiosity kicked in and she went to investigate. She listened very carefully and the voices brought her along the path, over a bridge and she found herself by a building which she assumed was the Green Dragon which an old friend had told her about, and Arian had found where the voices were coming from.

There were three hobbits. Two of them were frantically bickering and Arian was very curious to what was going on. One of the bickering hobbits had almost golden hair and the other had brown. Arian felt bad that she thought that their bickering was almost comical.

The third and rather old hobbit was inspecting the contents of a few small barrels and he had a troubled look on his face while looking at what was in them. Arian became even more inquisitive and she decided to listen to the two younger hobbits quarrel.

"Why didn't you check it to make sure nothing was on it!" the brown haired one said and his arms were raised in exasperation.

"Nothing was ever wrong with it before so I didn't bother!" said the other. "If you were so concerned about there being something wrong with it then you should have checked yourself, Merry."

The two hobbits continued to argue and Arian continued to watch. This argument seemed to go on for a while and they both kept on blaming the other about something that was wrong with whatever was in those barrels. Arian started to wonder how long she had been standing there watching this rumpus and then the hobbits noticed her.

The golden haired one noticed her first.

"Oi! You know that staring is very rude! You could at least come over here and help!"

Arian instantly became embarrassed and annoyed with herself. Damn her curiosity! Deciding that it would have been wrong to just leave, she gingerly walked over to them to offer her assistance.

"I apologise but I'm just very curious about what is causing you both such distress, I suppose I could assist you." said Arian.

Her voice was very soft and melodic and nothing like the two hobbits had ever heard before, but they knew straight away that she wasn't from the Shire or Buckland and maybe not even from Bree. They were very suspicious of Arian and her appearance. She looked like a hobbit from first glance but when they looked at her closely they could see that she was quite different. The two hobbits were now having second thoughts about letting her investigate their problem. They noticed Arian's tiny feet and her slightly different shaped ears and were intrigued as well as a little apprehensive of her. But she seemed polite when she spoke to them so they saw no harm in letting her help.

Then the hobbit named Merry spoke.

"My cousin Pippin here thought it would be a good idea to test the pipe-weed before anyone else tried it but it seems to have this disgusting aroma and taste which almost made both of us ill."

"My idea?! Merry, it was your idea! And it was your fault for not checking to see if there were any-"

Merry and Pippin began another argument and Arian was still confused. They didn't even clarify what was wrong with the pipe-weed before squabbling at each other again.

"Don't bother with them, lass. They're nothing but mischievous rascals." This voice came from the older hobbit and he was kneeling down and still inspecting the dried leaves. "These few barrels of Longbottom Leaf just have a bit of mildew on them that's all... but I can't say I've seen anything like it..."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Arian said and knelt down in front of the older hobbit.

"Not at all, but I wouldn't touch the stuff if I were you." The older hobbit handed Arian one of the barrels which was already open. Merry and Pippin now ended their argument and were peering over Arian's shoulder, and were doubtful that she knew what this mould was.

Arian examined the mildew and it had this awful, sickly light green colour. It took a few minutes for her to recognise what this mould was and then she remembered that she had read about something like this mould once.

"Ah. I do know what this is..." Arian said slowly, Merry and Pippin looked both shocked and relieved. "It's called Farmers Bain, and it is common in the east and it usually just damages crops but I've never seen it in this form before..."

"Well at least we now know what it is, do you know how to get rid of it?" asked the older Hobbit.

"Yes, I do...," said Arian, though her expression didn't fill the hobbits with joy. "The plant we need is called Elderbell. But the flower is very rare, and I haven't seen one in years."

The three hobbits looked a little disheartened.

"What does the flower look like?" asked Pippin.

"Elderbell looks very much like a bluebell except it is white and has its distinctive golden colour inside where the pollen is," Arian replied and stood up. "It is a very ancient flower, hence its name, which may be why it's so rare now."

"Well," Merry spoke after a moment of musing, "I think it's still worth us having a look to see if we can find this flower."

"It will be a long search." Arian warned.

"If this flower is the only thing that will save our pipe-weed then I don't care how long it takes to find it." said Pippin.

The older hobbit looked at Merry and Pippin with amusement.

"Are you two actually going to do something that will benefit the town instead of causing havoc?" He chuckled.

"Gaffer, I am most offended!" Merry said while mimicking the voice of an upper-class hobbit.

The Gaffer, as Arian assumed was the older hobbit's nickname, started to gather all the barrels of the affected pipe-weed and he told them he was going to dispose of them immediately before the Farmers Bain began to spread to the other barrels. While he was doing that, Merry and Pippin had volunteered to assist Arian in finding the elusive Elderbell flower and the three began to walk away from the Green Dragon and out into the grassy plains of the Shire.

* * *

Arian had already learnt a lot about Merry and Pippin as they wandered around, searching for the Elderbell flower. She had already learnt that they were both considered troublemakers and were cousins. They didn't live in Hobbiton however, Merry lived in Buckland and Pippin lived in one of the Great Smials in Tuckborough. They told her that they were visiting their relative named Frodo, and that name didn't spark any interest but when they said that his uncle was named Bilbo...

Bilbo... She knew that name...

Arian told the cousins that she was the new resident who had moved into the little hobbit-hole bordering Hobbiton and she laughed when Merry told her that many of the hobbits believed her to be something of great evil and it was clear to see that she wasn't. They told her about the silly rumours and Arian couldn't believe her ears. She wasn't offended, she was just quite amused and if the other Hobbits had met her they would have possibly disregarded those rumours immediately.

But Arian was just glad that Pippin and Merry had not asked her about where she came from or why she was in Hobbiton. Pippin then wandered ahead of Merry and Arian and he seemed to be getting frustrated at how elusive this Elderbell was. Arian did warn them that this would be difficult.

Then Merry asked one of the dreaded questions...

"So Arian," he began. "Where do you come from? Your accent sounds very different to us Hobbits in the Shire."

"I hail from Rivendell." Arian felt like she answered his question far too quickly.

"Ah, I should have guessed. You do sound like one of those elves. Hang on..." Merry had a puzzled look on his face. "If you lived in Rivendell, why move to live in a place like the Shire?"

Arian's heart was in her mouth. She didn't know what to say and almost started to panic but it seemed that luck was in her favour since they both heard Pippin give a shout of joy.

"What have you found Pippin?" Arian shouted and she and Merry ran towards Pippin's shouts.

They soon found him and they found themselves in a little grove with a few trees with leaves of a beautiful shade of green. And then they saw what Pippin was screaming about.

"Arian... I thought you said that Elderbell was rare..." Pippin said quietly.

"I did..." Arian said barely louder than a whisper.

What they saw was a sea of white flowers with little specks of gold. Elderbell seemed to be indigenous to this area and Arian was so shocked she could barely speak. Whenever she found an Elderbell it would only ever be one or two plants, but this... She had never seen anything like this.

"Right..." Arian began after coming to her senses. "We do not need to take many flowers; we don't want to completely destroy the area. Just take a few handfuls and we'll put them in my bag."

As she instructed, the three went to work immediately while making sure not to accidently squish any of the flowers and it wasn't long before they had gathered enough of the plant to return to Hobbiton. Merry and Pippin's love for pipe-weed must have motivated them to get this job done so quickly.

Soon enough they arrived back in Hobbiton and found the Gaffer and he was surprised that both Merry and Pippin had kept to their word about helping to found the Elderbell since he thought they would give up. But the Gaffer was proved wrong. Arian gave the Elderbell to the older hobbit and told him to let it dry out in the sun for a while and when it was dry he needed to add it to the barrels of Longbottom Leaf that were not affected by the mildew to prevent them from developing Farmers Bain. The Gaffer was very thankful for her help.

Afterwards, Arian remembered why she had left her burrow in the first place and Merry and Pippin were willing to help her to buy foodstuffs for her pantry and the Gaffer gave her some of his own potatoes. Arian had seemed to have made a good impression on the hobbits so far and had already become friends of Merry and Pippin.

And then her mind drifted and she remembered Bilbo.

' _I wonder if he remembers me."_ She thought.

* * *

 **AN:** I made up the plant 'Elderbell' and the mould 'Farmers Bain' if anyone is wondering.


	3. Chapter Three - An Old Friend

**AN:** Again, thank you so much for the faves and follows, and thank you again Lothelen for the review! :D I honestly didn't think this story would get any recognition at all considering I only created my account like a few weeks ago so thank you all! I'm hinting a lot of things in this chapter about Arian's past and I promise that things will get more interesting ;)

* * *

 **Chapter Three: An Old Friend**

It had been two weeks since the incident with the pipe-weed and everything was normal but whenever Arian left her burrow, she noticed something different.

Pippin and Merry had indeed told the Hobbits about Arian and how she had told them about the Elderbell flower and how to stop their pipe-weed from catching the Farmers Bain. Merry had told Arian that the Elderbell added to the already beautiful aroma of the pipe-weed and he and Pippin were almost addicted to the scent.

There was no longer a tense atmosphere whenever she entered Hobbiton now; some of the Hobbits even said 'good morning' or just simply said 'hello'. Arian made the right choice about following her curiosity which led her to Merry and Pippin. The hobbits thought very highly of her for saving the Longbottom Leaf.

She had become quite popular and she was a topic that a lot of the hobbits discussed, in either a good or bad way and they soon discovered that Arian was the individual living in the little burrow on the borders of Hobbiton. But some of the rumours didn't stop. Some of the older hobbits still believed that Arian was something to worry about. But it didn't bother the young elf; most of the hobbits had become fond of her.

Some of the younger hobbits even started to follow her around sometimes, they thought Arian was mysterious, and they wanted to play with her long hair but were still far too shy to ask.

And as well as Merry and Pippin, Arian had met a young and very pretty hobbit named Rosie. The two of them bumped into each other when Arian had accidently wandered out of Hobbiton while exploring and found herself on a farm which belonged to the Cotton Family. Rosie showed Arian the way back to Hobbiton and they almost instantly became friends. Rosie promised to visit to Hobbiton to come and see her since Arian was quite lonely sometimes.

And now she was particularly lonely. Merry and Pippin had returned to their own homes after visiting Hobbiton and she didn't know when they would come back. Merry and Pippin were her first friends here and she spent quite a bit of time with them when they weren't causing trouble.

Then once again her mind went back to Bilbo and it had been a while... a long while since she had seen him last and she was really wondering if he even remembered her. Surely he must have known that she was in the Shire? Many hobbits were talking about her now so surely the gossip about her living in Hobbiton had reached him...

That afternoon, Arian was reading in her burrow, but then she received a letter. A young hobbit had knocked on her door and handed her the letter but as soon as they gave it to her, they were gone.

' _They are still so apprehensive of me...'_ Arian thought.

She looked at the letter in her hand with suspicion. Who on earth would send her a letter? She was bemused but as she read the letter, a broad smile appeared on her lips.

 _Dearest Arian,_

 _I am dreadfully sorry it has taken me so long to get in contact with you. Gandalf did mention to me about your arrival in Hobbiton a while ago and I told myself I would invite you over so we could talk but it seems my memory isn't as good as it used to be!_

 _I shall keep this letter short, and it has been a dreadfully long time and I would very much like to see you again so please feel free to visit Bag End at any time you wish._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Bilbo_

And Arian was overjoyed and she chuckled to herself. She still remembered the first time she met Bilbo. He and Thorin and his company of dwarves had just arrived in Rivendell and while Bilbo was aimlessly wandering around, he and Arian encountered one another and they were both bewildered. Bilbo was confused about what Arian was and Arian was concerned about the size of Bilbo's feet. She had never seen or heard of a hobbit before and thought he had some kind of disease. But soon enough she and Bilbo started talking about the Shire and Bilbo told her of Hobbiton and his home, Bag End.

Arian immediately made herself presentable and bolted out of the door but still remembering to lock it afterwards. The young elf then ran in full sprint straight for Bag End and luckily Rosie had told her were it was beforehand, but it wasn't like Bag End was easy to miss. Like her own burrow, Bag End was located on a hill except it was delved into Hobbiton Hill which made it far more glamorous than hers.

She ran as fast as she possibly could up the lane of Bagshot row, almost tripping over her own feet as she went but she carried on and soon enough Arian found herself in front of the famous home of the Baggins family.

The front garden was very well kept with delicate little flowers peppered around the area, and there were steps leading up to that bright green door. Arian was full of excitement and she still kept the broad smile on her face as she walked up to the door.

She took a few moments to compose herself, and then she knocked.

The door opened almost immediately when she did so, and there he was, Bilbo Baggins and Arian still saw him as the fourteenth member of Thorin's company.

He looked drastically different from when she last saw him, but then of course he would. Fifty years is a long time. His curly hair was grey now and there were some white strands here and there and he looked old and maybe a little tired but there was still a spark in his eye despite his old age.

"Arian, my dear! My goodness I didn't think you would come over so soon!" Bilbo chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I had to, Bilbo. I've wanted to see you since I arrived! I've been quite lonely." Said Arian and released herself from the hug and Bilbo studied her face.

"You haven't changed at all since I last saw you, but then I suppose that is the way of the Elves. Anyway, come in! Make yourself at home and I'll make some tea." He said, and Arian smiled.

Bilbo ushered her inside and shut the door and hastily trotted towards the kitchen. The swiftness of how he shut the door amused her as it reminded her of herself.

"It's a shame Frodo isn't here at the moment." Bilbo called from the kitchen while he busied himself.

"He is your nephew, yes?" Arian asked.

"Indeed he is. He loves the Elves, and I think he would love to meet you. But I'm sure you'll come across him later."

Arian started to gaze around Bag End. There were books and maps scattered all over the place which showed Bilbo's fascination for the world outside the Shire. She felt the same way once and she too yearned to explore to her heart's content and wander Middle-Earth with no fears, but past event in her life laid a scar upon her, and made her change her mind. But being in the Shire slowly brought back her love of exploration and adventure.

The young Elf then walked into the parlour and her eyes glanced at the table beside the window and there were numerous books and pieces of paper on the table but there was something in particular which caught her eye.

It was a map. A map of the Lonely Mountain, and she examined it closely but she then felt sadness in her heart as she looked at it and Bilbo told her of the loss of Thorin and his nephews Fili and Kili while trying to take back their home, Erebor.

Bilbo entered the parlour with two cups in his hands; he gave Arian one of them and noticed how she gazed at the map with a distant and sad look in her eyes.

"I greatly admired Thorin..." Arian spoke quietly, talking more to herself than to Bilbo.

"I know you did. He thought it was strange that a young Elf would think so highly of him, considering the relationship between Dwarves and Elves."

Arian continued to gaze at the map and she traced a finger over the roads and writing on it.

"The Lonely Mountain..." She whispered. "And after all these years I still want to see it."

Bilbo sat himself down in the wooden chair nearby and sipped his tea.

"Why don't you see it then? There's nothing stopping you, Arian." He said softly.

But then Arian's expression became sombre.

"Anais..." she said with a small voice. "I couldn't just go places without her agreeing to it. It would worry her. She is more like a mother to me than a sister."

"Ah yes, I remember her. Well, you do have a point. How is your sister?" Bilbo asked.

"She is well." But Arian's voice was still quiet.

"The look on your face says otherwise, my dear."

Arian was silent. She was unsure of what to say.

"... She isn't as good as she once was." She said slowly. "But I'm sure in time she will get better. She is and Elf after all."

"Oh good, but it is very strange for an Elf to become ill..." Bilbo said and he had a very puzzled look on his face.

Arian gave a faint smile, for what she told Bilbo was a lie. She knew what was wrong with her sister and she knew she would never recover. Her condition would only worsen until she was unable to carry on and Arian held a deep hatred in her heart for the one person who did this to her. And that person was out there somewhere in Middle-Earth, continuing to live and cause pain and suffering.

In fact... that person was one of the reasons why Arian was living in the Shire in the first place.

But Bilbo brought Arian out of her dark thoughts again and began to talk to her about his return to the Shire after his adventure. She was appalled when he told her that he was presumed dead and all his belongings were being auctioned off to the other hobbits and his feud with the Sackville-Bagginses had not died. They were still determined to acquire Bag End but their chances of doing this were now very slim as Bilbo now had an heir, and his heir was Frodo. Bilbo seemed to be very proud of Frodo as he was a very bright hobbit and expressed a great interest into Bilbo's adventures.

Bilbo and Arian stayed in the parlour and continued to talk for hours and they didn't notice how the sun was now setting and it reminded Arian of when they had long discussions in Rivendell. It reminded her of home.

But then Bilbo asked Arian that same question that Merry had asked not too long ago, which ruined Arian's peaceful state.

"I've been meaning to ask you this but what made you want to live here in Hobbiton? You seemed very happy in Rivendell with your sister." He said.

Arian was silent again and she thought for a moment. Could she tell Bilbo? She could since she knew Bilbo wouldn't gossip about this, but then would Bilbo understand the situation she was in? Maybe she could twist the truth...

"Bilbo, this may be hard to understand but-"

As Arian spoke, the front door opened and a young hobbit walked in. The first thing she noticed was his sticking, pale blue eyes and he looked to be just as pale as an elf, he also had dark brown hair and Arian assumed this was Frodo.

"Ah Frodo, I want you to meet Arian, she is an elf and a very old friend of mine." Bilbo said with a smile.

Frodo walked into the parlour, and then his eyes then landed on Arian, and he was in awe. Her skin seemed to illuminate against the candlelight and the setting sun made her glow subtly. Bilbo had taken Frodo to see the elves walking west to the Grey Havens and they seemed to glow like this too. He looked into Arian's eyes and they looked like they held great wisdom and looked as if they had seen many generations of this world. Frodo felt as if Arian was looking straight into his heart and he almost felt lost for breath.

"Mae govannen, Frodo Baggins," Arian spoke at last and gave a gentle smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Frodo was stunned and he stuttered a moment before speaking.

"I-... It's a pleasure to meet you too." He managed to say, and Bilbo chucked at Frodo's amazement of the young Elf.

"Come and sit with us Frodo, I'm retelling the Quest for the Lonely Mountain!" Bilbo said.

Frodo eagerly came and sat with the two and Bilbo continued his story. Frodo had heard this story countless of times but he never grew tired of it and Arian had only heard it once, when Bilbo returned to Rivendell after the quest. They both listened intently and soon the night closed in and the room was just kept alight by the candles and fireplace.

Frodo occasionally glanced at Arian with curiosity. He had never met an elf before and wondered what she had seen and wondered what she knew and if she had been on great adventures like his Uncle Bilbo. Her eyes greatly intrigued him as they reminded him of Gandalf's eyes... They were full of knowledge... Frodo wanted to know her.

The hours went on and Bilbo finished his story and then Arian realised it was quite late. She wanted to return to her burrow.

"I think it is time I returned home, my friends," Arian spoke with her familiar soft tone. "Thank you, Bilbo for having me. Your home is truly as wonderful as I had imagined."

"You are far too kind, Arian. And you are welcome to stop by again; you're always welcome in Bag End." Bilbo said with a warm smile.

Frodo saw how dark it was outside, thought for a moment, and he had an idea.

"I could walk you home if you like." He said quietly.

Arian looked at Frodo and giggled; and then a broad smile appeared on her face again. She didn't need to be walked home as she was very capable of defending herself and what danger was there in the Shire? They were all quite safe. But she wouldn't mind company.

"Of course, I wouldn't mind at all." Arian smiled again.

She bid farewell to her old friend Bilbo Baggins and she and Frodo walked out of the door and into the night. They were quiet for some of the way but Arian didn't mind as she enjoyed the silence of the night and she could hear the soft wind through the trees and the moon dimly lit their way to her burrow. She could hear crickets and if she listened carefully, she could also hear the sounds of laughter from the hobbits still at the Green Dragon.

Arian then looked briefly at Frodo and he didn't look much like Bilbo, but he did indeed look intelligent.

"You are the relative of Pippin and Merry aren't you?" Arian's voice seemed to abruptly snap Frodo out of his thoughts.

"Yes I am," He said quickly. "They did speak of you and told me you were from Rivendell and were like no hobbit they had ever seen. And I understand now that you are clearly no hobbit."

Arian laughed softly.

"Bilbo said he met you in Rivendell..." Frodo continued, "And that you looked no older than a Hobbit in their tweens, and that was fifty years ago. I'm just curious to how old you are and I apologise if I am causing any offence."

"Do not worry, meldir, I am not offended. I am one thousand and sixteen years old." Arian said with a smile.

"Wow..." Frodo breathed, he was truly amazed by the Elves. He thought for a moment and was trying to work out the year she was born.

"If you're one thousand and sixteen years old... that means..." Frodo thought hard again, "... That you were alive during the founding of Erebor!"

Arian laughed again, she thought it was quite sweet how this young Hobbit was so amazed.

"Yes I was alive around that time but I can assure you that I was not aware of it." She giggled. "I was only a baby!"

"Well, I think it is still fascinating how you've lived through the creation and fall of Erebor." Frodo said.

They continued to walk in silence again and it wasn't long before they were walking up the small hill and arrived outside the door to Arian's burrow. The young Elf turned to look at Frodo.

"Thank you for walking me home, Frodo." Said Arian and she then turned to unlock the door to her burrow.

"It was no problem, have a good night, Arian." Frodo said with a slight hint of sadness, he wanted to spend more time with her, but it was late and he turned away from Arian's burrow and began to make his way home.

The young Elf opened the door to her little hobbit-hole, stepped inside and closed the door again. And then she smiled.

"Navaer, Frodo Baggins." She whispered.

They would definitely meet again.

* * *

 **Translations:** Mae govannen – Well met in Sindarin (but I'm sure a lot of you knew this already because it's quite popular and a lot of people use it but I put the translation here anyway :D)

Meldir – I believe it's the masculine word for 'friend' in Sindarin. Correct me if I'm wrong please.

Navaer – And I think this means 'farewell' but please correct me if I'm wrong. Arian's first language is Sindarin since she is an Elf and I just want to slip in a few elvish words in now and again to show her elvish background and stuff.


	4. Chapter Four - The Youngest Keeper

**AN:** Hello everyone! So I want to update this story weekly but I take ages to write these chapters because I'm trying to make them as detailed as I possibly can and I procrastinate sometimes when I get stuck. I know what's going to happen with the story once I reach Bilbo's 111th birthday but it's just these next few chapters with character development that I want to make absolutely perfect, and that requires me using my brain which takes like a lot of time. I will try to keep to the weekly thing though.

* * *

 **Chapter Four: The Youngest Keeper**

Frodo was curious of Arian. After the day she visited Bilbo, he spent a lot of time musing about her and from time to time he followed her around whenever she was in Hobbiton, but made sure that she was not able to see him. But the young Hobbit noticed that Arian didn't often leave her burrow and she had a tendency to not leave her home for days at a time and he, as well as Merry and Pippin, were still baffled to why an Elf would want to reside in the Shire.

Frodo knew that the Elves were wise and knowledgeable, and for Arian to come and live in a place where people were not so bright, may have felt quite strange. Arian was a mystery to Frodo.

He would often linger around the outside of Bag End and his eyes would gaze over Hobbiton, watching the world go by and imagining that he was on an adventure somewhere far away. And sometimes his eyes fell upon Arian whenever she was present. He wanted to talk to her, he wanted to be around her but feared that his questions would either annoy the elf or possibly be too intrusive. So for now, as silly as it was, Frodo only admired her from afar.

On this day, the sun cast a gentle warmth upon the Shire and Frodo was sitting outside of Bag End, daydreaming. Some of the Hobbits gave him an odd look and they began to believe that he was just as strange as Bilbo, but Frodo couldn't care less of what they thought of him or his uncle. However, the looks that the Hobbits gave him did bother the young Hobbit now and again.

Frodo sighed in frustration. He was particularly irked with how they stared; he wanted to take a walk where he could wander and explore and daydream as much as he wanted without the staring and judging eyes of the Hobbits. He stood up and marched down Bagshot Row and wandered just outside Hobbiton and made his way out into the fields and forests of the Shire to escape those prying eyes.

The young Hobbit loved the Shire, but he loved exploring too. Frodo wanted Bilbo to take him to see the Lonely Mountain; he wanted to see the Elves of Rivendell and Mirkwood. It seemed he would rather be somewhere else than here in the Shire. Frodo trudged through the grass and began to imagine the Lonely Mountain as he had done so many times before and he imagined Bilbo walking through its halls and encountering the great dragon Smaug. He then began to wonder if Arian had been on any adventures, he saw wisdom in her eyes... maybe she had travelled all across Middle-Earth...

Frodo continued to walk aimlessly through the trees, the birds were singing and the leaves on the trees slowly danced in the soft wind and the young Hobbit smiled. The rest of Middle-Earth may be full of adventure and wondrous things, but there was truly no place quite like the Shire.

But as Frodo walked and daydreamed, he noticed the sound of someone humming became louder and louder. He stopped walking and listened. The noise was serene and gentle and it was coming from his left, he cautiously began to follow the sound. As he grew closer, he saw a particularly large tree and the humming seemed to be coming from behind it. Frodo stooped and took very small and careful steps closer to the sound and tried to peer behind the tree to get a glimpse of the person, but before he could do so, the humming stopped. He held his breath.

"I know you're there, Mister Baggins, there's no need to be shy." He heard the voice say and recognised it immediately. "Come and sit with me."

It was Arian, and Frodo was a little relieved that it wasn't anyone else. The Elf held a small leather bound book in her lap and it looked like she had been sketching. Frodo gingerly walked over and sat himself next to Arian, but not too close.

"I am sorry if I startled you at all." Frodo said after a while and the Elf smirked.

"You didn't startle me Frodo; I could hear you walking through the grass." Arian chuckled and she continued to sketch in her book.

Frodo settled himself against the tree. They sat in silence and the only noise was the sound of the birds, the wind rustling the leaves, the sound of a small stream nearby... There were small rays of light from the sun beaming through the gaps between the leaves in the tree above them which shone down on them and everywhere the light touched gave a tender warmth, and it made Frodo feel a little sleepy. Arian sat with her knees up and her book was resting on them while she sketched and the rays of the sun kissed her brown, wavy hair and Frodo swore that her hair seemed to glow. Sitting here in silence, next to someone he didn't know too well, should have felt awkward, but it didn't. The Elf seemed to create this aura of calmness wherever she went and she did possess this ethereal quality about her. But there was a look in her eyes which showed a sense of hardship, but there was also courage.

The drawing in Arian's book then caught Frodo's attention. He glanced at what she was drawing and leaned over slightly to get a better look. It was a castle hidden between two cliff faces, surrounded by mountains, and it was built in tiers like an extravagantly monstrous cake. The elf could sense Frodo staring intently at the sketch.

"This is an Elvish Castle," Arian began, "It's not very far from Rivendell actually, only a few leagues north. It's called the Castle of Wisdom."

"The Castle of Wisdom..." Frodo echoed, "Have you been there?"

A smile appeared on Arian's face but it looked sad, as if she was recalling lost and distant memories that she wished she could have forgotten.

"Yes I have been there," She said, her voice was small, "I was born in that castle and lived there with my kin."

Frodo looked at the young Elf. So there were more people like her... He was so confused.

"Arian... What exactly are you?" Frodo said slowly, he didn't want to be intrusive but he just had to ask. Arian thankfully did not look offended; in fact she looked rather pleased that he had asked this. There was a glint of nobleness in her eyes.

"I am a Keeper of Wisdom." She said proudly, the sad expression gone and her beaming smile returned. But Frodo still held a perplexed look on his face which amused the Elf and she giggled.

"We are a group of Elves and there were six of us," She began, "We all lived in the castle together. There was my mother and father, myself and my three older siblings. Our role was to learn anything we possibly could, anything which took our interest, and pass on that knowledge to anyone who desired it. We were teachers, essentially."

Frodo now sat cross-legged next to Arian, his eyes filled with fascination and he wanted to know more, and he didn't even need to ask as Arian could tell by his captivated expression that he wanted her to continue.

"My mother and father were the first Keepers," She continued, "They were the wisest people I ever knew, but they seemed distant at times. There was nothing they didn't know, and I couldn't understand how they could find new things to learn, but..."

"... but?" said Frodo, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"They both sailed into the West a very long time ago," There was a slight tone of grief in Arian's voice; "They are beyond the White Towers now."

There was a moment of silence. Frodo saw that Arian looked into the distance, she was thinking, she was calling back lost memories, her lips became a faint smile.

"But it matters not, I'm sure they are happy." Arian's voice returned to its gentle and pleasant tone, "Now, my sister Anais and her twin Aidan were also Keepers..."

Frodo was entranced by how Arian talked about the Keepers. She held a great love for her family, and by how highly she spoke of them, Frodo guessed that Arian's family were the most important thing to her. Arian told him that her older sister, Anais, was quite beautiful and witty and held great knowledge about plants. Arian knew about the Elderbell flower because of Anais. Aidan was the elder twin, and Arian said that he had a good and strong heart. His interest was in weaponry and in the history of Middle-Earth. Arian greatly respected him and he always tried to do whatever was right, even if it meant that it would lead to his own demise.

"And then..." Arian's expression became pained again, "There is my eldest brother..."

But then she was silent for a moment, and her eyes fell to look at the sketch of the castle in her book.

"Arian?" Frodo said, bringing the Elf from her thoughts.

Arian turned to look at Frodo, and she had an almost exhausted look on her face, a face of someone who had lost so much but still lingered on.

"The Elf who was once my eldest brother is gone," she said, "There is only shadow within him now, and I think that is all I will say about him."

Frodo was enlightened that he now knew who and what Arian was, but she still concealed so much. There was sadness and hatred in the young Elf's heart and Frodo wanted to know what caused it. She looked pained, and it was as if she was hiding under a veil or she just didn't want say what was wrong.

Then the sadness disappeared as they started to talk about the Shire, since Arian had now answered Frodo's question and given him far more information than needed. Arian told Frodo of her now close friendship with Rosie and she had taught Arian how to sew and make clothing, Rosie would come to Arian's burrow and for hours they would sit in the parlour and make dresses.

And apart from the burden of sadness, Arian was very kind and gentle and Frodo was drawn to that. She listened and laughed as Frodo told stories of how he and Merry and Pippin got into trouble while he lived in Brandy Hall. Frodo still felt that Arian was a mystery, but he did not think she was dangerous and he wanted to spend more time with her for he also saw loneliness in her eyes as well as sadness.

The day went on and they thought it would be best to head back to Hobbiton since Bilbo would be starting to wonder where his nephew had run off to, they both left the great tree and said goodbye and went their separate ways. But they both decided to meet by that tree on a regular basis, as Frodo felt that Arian needed someone to talk to.

And Frodo made a promise to himself to make sure Arian never felt lonely. Many Hobbits already loved her; she need not feel so isolated.

* * *

 **AU:** I think that this chapter is kinda short so I'm sorry guys... Btw I really love to hear what people think of the story and if anyone has any questions about Arian or anything they think I should improve on or add to this story, I'm more than happy to listen. :D


	5. Chapter Five - The Vision

**AN:** Hello everyone! So school it starting again for me next week on Wednesday and I'm definitely going to still be updating this story but it may just be a weekly update thing like I said before. I'm starting my A-Levels now but I'm only taking Art, Textiles and English literature so I think I will still have plenty of time to work on this story :)

* * *

 **Chapter Five: The Vision**

Outside of Arian's burrow, all was quiet and all were sleeping peacefully. There were no sounds except for the hooting of owls and the sound of the gentle wind. The stars stretched across the night sky like a twinkling blanket.

Arian lay on her bed, with her eyes closed and her breathing was steady, but she was not sleeping. Elves did not sleep and if they needed rest, they would go into a meditive like state and their minds would be filled with peaceful thoughts. But Arian didn't often think of peaceful things. She would try to work out problems as she meditated; she let her subconscious deal with difficult subjects.

Arian thought of her sister mainly since she worried about her nearly every day. Anais was alive but she was like a lingering spirit as she was very weak, but she was not always like this. It was no lie she told Frodo when she said that her sister was very beautiful.

It was an ancient artefact that destroyed Anais. It was one of the old Dwarven Rings of Power, reforged and retempered and reworked with the deep elven magic possessed by all the magic rings. It was remade to look like an ordinary ring and given to Anais as a gift but slowly she began to understand that the ring was draining her life and power, and it was through this ring that allowed the Dark Lord to almost make the young Keeper of Wisdom nothing but an empty shell. And if it wasn't for Gandalf, Anais would have been gone a long time ago.

Anais threw away the ring and it has forever been lost since she disposed of it, but she was never the same after experiencing the trauma it had given her. She was still extremely knowledgeable, but you could see in her eyes that she was dying. However, it was Arian that gave Anais the strength to not give in to death.

Arian dwelt on the past as she meditated and she had a habit of doing so. She often thought of things she could have done differently, and things that would have saved her family from destruction. She blamed herself for things that she had no power over, and she had no need to blame herself for anything. And too much she thought of how she could have saved Aidan from his cruel fate. But she tried with all her heart to forget what had happened to him.

But Arian's past was not all filled with despair. There were moments of joy and there were moments of adventure and there was a little boy whom she began to watch over and care for, and became almost like a sister to him. He grew into a great man and was and still is one of the closest friends Arian has, and they share a bond that will never break. He was the best thing that had ever happened to Arian. While she taught him right from wrong and about the world around him, he brought back her curiosity and reminded her how to be a child again. As Arian's subconscious mind started to remember that little boy, a heartfelt smile appeared on her lips. She missed him terribly and she was unsure if she would ever see him again.

Suddenly, something happened. The visions and memories of her family and the little boy vanished into complete darkness and Arian's heartbeat quickened in fear. Was she having a nightmare? She couldn't be since she wasn't sleeping. This had never happened before and it frightened her. And then, a voice spoke in her clouded mind.

" _... Be calm... Be still..."_ It said.

There was a familiar sound to the voice, it was gentle and loving. Arian felt a nostalgic feeling that reminded her of her infancy, a mother's love.

" _... Listen..."_ The voice spoke again, " _... The East... The Shadow grows... you know this... let me show you."_

The darkness then changed into a barren wasteland and even though Arian had never been there, she knew the place that the voice spoke of. The sky was dark and clouded and the mountains were jagged, like teeth arisen from the ground. But the sky was also filled with fire, flames of evil from the mountain... from Mount Doom. It continuously spewed fire and ash and dust into the sky, blocking out the sun and stars and moon. This land held nothing but evil, the Land of Shadow.

And then Arian saw a tower, almost the same size as Mount Doom and they stood side by side in the dark, evil land. The tower was indeed very tall and gave a feeling of constant anger and hostility. And then Arian saw something that she had never wanted to see. At the top of the tower was an eye of fire with a slit pupil like a snake which struck pure terror into Arian's heart and soul. It stared without blinking and could see every part of the world. It was looking for something, _he_ was searching for something. It radiated a need for something lost and forgotten.

Arian understood now. If Sauron was searching for something, then the only thing he could be searching for was the Master Ring... and then the Elf heard those dark words that definitely confirmed her assumption.

" _Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."_

Those dark words were repeated in Arian's mind and she was breathing heavily and sweating with panic and wanted to scream but found that she couldn't. She was having a vison, and this was something that she should not have been able to do. It required years of intense practice and work of the mind to be able to do this. The only person whom Arian knew who was able to do this was her own mother.

But then the scene of the Land of Shadow faded and all was in darkness again, Arian relaxed and steadied her breathing.

"... _You know of what he searches for..."_ The voice said, and Arian indeed knew of that evil object, _"But for now, its whereabouts are unknown... There is something you must do."_

The darkness then became a blurry vison but Arian could make out that it was night-time and she was gazing at the Shire. The vision changed and became a little clearer and she then could see that she was now looking upon the door to Bag End. And the vision changed for the final time for her to see a sleeping Frodo, he was safe and sound and dreaming.

" _He is important."_ Said the voice, " _I am unsure of what it is he must do, but I know that this Hobbit will play a key part in the far future. Be it dangerous or not, I do not know, but I fear that he is not ready for the responsibility ahead of him."_

The vison of Frodo then faded to darkness again.

" _This is where your task begins, little one. The young Hobbit is lacking in confidence and he will need to become a leader. He is young and has his head in the clouds, you must steer him in the right direction. Show him how to be strong for he will need to be when the hour is dark, I know that he will bear a great burden. I know you can do this. Remember Elessar when he was young..."_

The darkness then became the place she considered her true home. It was Rivendell, and as she looked closer, she saw two people. One she recognised as herself but much younger, and the other was the little boy. They were both smiling and playing with wooden swords and laughing together... But nearly as soon as she vision appeared, it had vanished.

" _Trust me..."_ Said the voice, " _This is your task for now, but you will also play an important part in the future... You will succeed Arian. Have faith in yourself, have hope."_

And then the voice diminished and Arian's eyes opened and a bead of cold sweat dripped down the side of her temple. She was feeling a horrible mixture of fear and confusion and she sat up on her bed, wondering what to do.

Slowly Arian sat up, brought her feet to the floor and she sat on the side of the bed with her shoulders hunched, trying to clear her mind and focus. The Dark Lord would rise again, and she knew of that, her mother had predicted it many years ago when many assumed that Sauron would not return after Isildur had slain him. But she was unsure of the role Frodo had to play. She noticed that he did come across as rather timid at times but he seemed more like a Gentlehobbit, like Bilbo. Arian had no idea how to help Frodo, but she could not ignore that voice in her head. She had to try and do something.

Arian stood up and stretched, and then she rubbed her eyes. But what was she going to do?

The Elf idly gazed around her room. It was still dark out and the only light was the moon that shone through the gap between the curtains. Then Arian's eyes landed upon the chest at the foot of the bed and she had known it had been there since the first day she had arrived in this burrow, but she had not bothered to look in it.

To try and calm herself of what had happened, she got up and walked over to the chest and knelt in front of it. It was just an ordinary wooden chest, there was nothing special about it however it was rather large. She carelessly opened the large chest, and as she had guessed, there was nothing inside.

Or was there?

It was dark so Arian could not see too well, but as her eyes focused and became used to the sheer darkness inside the chest, she saw that there lay a scabbard containing a short sword at the bottom. And there was also a note.

Now Arian was even more confused. Why was there a short sword in the chest? The only people who had been in her burrow were Merry, Pippin and Gandalf. Merry and Pippin couldn't have left it in there since they were never the violent sort and Arian very much doubted that either of them had held a sword in their life. And whenever they came to visit they would spend their time either in the kitchen, eating, or in the parlour, also eating.

But then there was Gandalf... Why would Gandalf give her a sword?

Arian took the sword, contained in its scabbard, out of the chest. It had a good weight to it, and it looked like it was an elvish sword and then she set it down beside her. Arian noticed that the note still remained at the bottom of the chest and she immediately snatched it up and began to read it.

 _Arian,_

... She knew this handwriting, and she knew that it did not belong to Gandalf. A wave of pure joy came over her.

 _Before Gandalf left for Hobbiton, I asked that he would take this sword with him and leave it safe in your new home. This sword belongs to you._

 _I had it made so it would be suitable for someone of your height; it is swift and can easily be unsheathed in the event of danger. But Arian, I will say that I wish I did not have to give this to you. It is not fair that you should be in so much danger, and I will do all that I can to protect you and your sister from Cedric. I still bare guilt in my heart after what happened when I lost you._

 _But while you remain in the Shire you should be out of harm's way, there are rangers guarding its borders that will keep any orc spies out. And I hope that you will never have to use this blade. But I would not go wandering the Shire with it hanging about your belt as I think that the Hobbits will not think too highly of it._

 _Be safe, Arian. And please don't go looking for trouble._

 _~ Aragorn_

Arian was almost overcome with joy; she missed Aragorn with all her heart. But she did not spend the next few minutes weeping over how much she missed her old friend; she immediately took hold of the scabbard and gently began to pull the sword out of it.

When she finally unsheathed the sword, she saw that there was a slight curve in the blade indicating that it was indeed elvish and Arian instantly fell in love with it, but not just because it was of elvish make, this sword was quite beautiful and graceful. It was a single-edged sword and in sheer curiosity and wonder, Arian ever so slightly brushed her finger against the sharp edge, and even though she gave it the gentlest touch, it cut her. The blade was beautiful but it was also deadly.

The hilt was bound in leather which allowed her grip upon it to be firm, meaning that she had better control. She was not the greatest sword fighter but Arian did know how to wield a blade. Aragorn had taught her and he said that she had learnt the art of sword fighting dangerously quickly. Arian knew how to defend herself.

She held her blade against the moonlight and the steel illuminated in the darkness. Arian gazed upon it for a long while and she was completely captivated by its beauty. And then she felt heaviness in her heart. That vision showed the rise of Sauron and she knew that one day he would arise again and darkness would cover Middle-Earth once more. And as she looked at the blade it made her feel that peace would soon come to an end, be it in years or decades, peace _was_ going to end.

Then Arian sheathed the sword and placed it back into the large chest and shut it. She was still confused but now after discovering her sword, she was now slightly afraid. She was unsure of how she would help Frodo as the voice had instructed her, and she was scared about war. She feared for her sister's safety. She was frightened of the growing shadow in the East.

And in the southern parts of Ephel Dúath... there stood another tower, and in that tower lived someone of great but evil power, tainted by Sauron himself. He is linked to Arian; he is linked to the downfall of the Keepers of Wisdom. And Arian both feared and loathed him but she held mostly great hatred for this person and she knew that if Sauron was to regain his power, the person living in the second tower would only grow more powerful.

Arian was very afraid and as much as she tried to be calm, she did not rest for the remaining hours of that night.

* * *

 **AU:** Anyone remember that in the first chapter I said that Arian fell into a deep slumber? ... Yeah, I knew that elves didn't sleep (they do the meditating stuff) and I remember Legolas doing it in the Two Towers when I read it a while ago. Like years ago. But I thought that maybe if elves became super-duper exhausted, maybe they would collapse with exhaustion? I dunno; feel free to smack me for my mistake. I'm also re-reading Lord of the Rings to remind me of the things that happen in the books because there's some stuff in them that didn't make it into the films and I want to try and incorporate some things from the books into this story :)


End file.
